UNCASVILLE — Around the campus at the University of Minnesota, Rachel Banham's nickname was "Maroon Mamba" because of the dominate color of the Gophers' uniform and her unabashed love for Kobe Bryant, known in NBA circles as Black Mamba.

Just like Bryant, Banham, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun, can score — on Feb. 7, her talent took her to another level against Northwestern.

Advertisement

On that day, just 14 months after she tore her right ACL on a 2-on-1 break in a game at North Dakota on Dec. 10, 2014, Banham tied an NCAA record by scoring 60 points in a double-overtime win.

"After I was injured, I had this chip on my shoulder about being the best player in the conference, about being an All-American. I wasn't going to let anyone stop me," Banham said.

She played 47 of the 50 minutes, scored 11 straight points in the fourth quarter and 18 more in the two overtimes. What's more, she was 19-for-21 from the field with eight three-pointers, hit 14-for-16 from the free-throw line and had nine rebounds in the 112-106 win.

"It was crazy. I remember after the game looking at my phone, which was twitching at that point between Twitter and Instagram," Banham said. "I couldn't keep up with it. I was happy because my team was getting national attention, too, which helped me get to where I am now in life."

Two days after her performance, after an appearance on the Big Ten Network when she was asked if she had heard from Bryant about her game, her dream text arrived.

"Congrats on the 60 @rachelbanham15 … From what I've seen I don't think it will be the last time you hit that mark."

It was from Bryant. "Life-changing," Banham said.

"In the moment [of the 60-point game], it didn't feel like a lot, I was so zoned in," Banham said. "I was shooting the ball and going with it, and by the end of the game I was exhausted. Everyone on Northwestern was guarding me at one point with the exception of their [center]."

By the end of the season, Banham was the Big Ten's career scoring leader with 3,093 points, the sixth-best total in NCAA history, just one of 11 players to score at least 3,000. Included were a program-record 354 three-pointers.

On April 14, just minutes after taking UConn's Morgan Tuck with the third overall pick in the draft, the rebuilding Sun selected Banham.

Advertisement

In his effort to take the Sun to the playoffs for the first time since 2012, rookie coach Curt Miller will try and improve the offense by creating more floor spacing. To do that, he needs players who can score and lead offenses.

In Banham, Miller said, he has both.

"Jasmine Thomas [the veteran point guard] is going to have the ball in her hands, but Rachel Banham is very special and she wants to play the point and have the responsibility of having the ball in her hands," Miller said.

"Not only can she play off the ball — and we need to get her off the ball — but we traded Chelsea Gray [to Los Angeles to get Jonquel Jones] with the belief that Rachel can play the point in this league. I've always coached point guards with a scoring mentality, so I like the fact she can score. Her future is really bright."

Banham, who averaged 28.6 points this season for Minnesota, is looking forward to playing the point in the WNBA.

"I love playing the point. I've been practicing at the point and at the wing. I like to be able to do a little bit of both," Banham said. "Playing the point is going to be a little different than it was in college because my team needed me to score; it won't be the same here. But I love playing the point and knowing that [Miller] has the confidence in me to do so. It's fun to be able to control the team at times, be its quarterback."

The Sun open the exhibition season May 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena against Chicago. And at that point, the Maroon Mamba will start wearing the orange and blue of the Sun.

"It's weird just being able to say that I am really an adult now, I am really an adult. We filled out tax papers on Thursday. And I am thinking, 'What does this mean?' Previously, basketball was fun, something that I loved," Banham said. "Now it's my job. It's cool, but it's been a lot of learning.

According to the Sun, Banham will make about $51,000 this year.

"What's important for me now is to knock down open shots when I have them. That's the player I am going to be for this team, a shooter/scorer. I'm not going to score 20, but when I'm open, I need to knock down shots.

"I will still have the Mamba mentality; that nothing is going to stop me, although I know the numbers will not be the same."